107: Making Winter Olympics History | Cam Smith

Cam Smith is an American Olympian who competed in the first-ever Ski Mountaineering (Skimo) events during the 2026 Winter Olympics. He is also an accomplished mountain and trail runner who has competed at the national and world levels , both as an individual, and as part of Team USA. And he instructs adaptive athletes as an instructor at the Adaptive Sports Center in Crested Butte, Colorado. In this conversation you’ll learn how an average athlete becomes an Olympian, how an elite athlete’s skill gaps can be bridged by obsession, just how different the Olympics is from other elite athletic events, where reality doesn’t align with Olympic expectations, how challenging it is to return to normal life after the Olympics, and more. Timestamps:00:00 Meet Cam Smith: Winter Olympian, Endurance Athlete & Adaptive Sports Instructor02:59 How Cam Found Endurance Sports After Moving to Colorado07:58 From Finishing Last to Chasing the Olympics09:35 Ski Mountaineering (Skimo) Explained: Olympic Rules & Race Format14:56 Life After the Olympics & Preparing for the 2030 Olympic Cycle17:54 What Competing at the Winter Olympics Actually Feels Like25:44 The Psychology of Achieving a Lifelong Dream29:05 The Mentor Who Helped Make an Olympic Dream Possible35:15 Post-Olympic Blues, Grief & Finding Perspective40:08 The Mindset Behind Elite Endurance Performance48:03 Adaptive Sports, Purpose & Lessons Beyond Winning54:15 Final Reflections on Service, Growth & Living Fully You can find Cam in the following places:Instagram: @CamFromCBAdaptive Sports Center: adaptivesports.orgFollow And Support The Show Follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the episode with family and friends. Website: zachtidwell.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388Instagram: @ZachCTidwellLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/X: @ZachCTidwellApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-in-blind-with-zach-tidwell/id1787306128Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51IxT43v95otwaXDkyr6FWYouTube: @ZachCTidwell #GIB #GoingInBlindPodcast theme music by Transistor.fm.